Sleep Cycles Explained: What's In a Good Night's Sleep?

1. Sleep Cycles Explained: What's In a Good Night's Sleep? Most people are aware that they have different sleep patterns throughout the night. However, there is more to rest than a light sleep or a deep sleep. In fact, there is an entire sleep cycle that occurs with different stages of sleep happening throughout the night. Learning about the What Is a Sleep Cycle? Sleep cycles are defined by several sleep stages with different activities. Sleep is mostly broken down into Rapid Eye Movement (REM sleep) and non-REM sleep. Here is what happens in each stage of sleep as defined by the National Sleep Foundation. Stage 1 is the first stage of sleep and it starts the moment a person starts to doze off. People are easy tstreo wake in this stage but they progress to the next rather quickly. In Stage 2, the person's muscle activity starts to wane, body temperature drops, heart rate decreases, and brain activity starts to form new patterns. This makes up about half the sleep time someone experiences throughout the night. Stage 3 is when deep sleep starts. The brain waves turn into delta waves that are recognized as a unique pattern to this period. These stages come in 20-30 minute bursts and then go into REM periods more frequently as the night goes on. During REM sleep, brain activity hits a new high, and that is when intense dreaming takes place along with memory formation, creativity windows, and more. This stage is roughly 25% of all sleep in healthy adults. How Much is Enough Sleep? The amount of sleep that a person requires will vary throughout their lives. Young babies need as much as 17 hours of sleep per day while people in their 60s and 70s often thrive on 7 hours or fewer. As a healthy adult, most people aim for 8 hours of sleep each night. The period of sleep that a person needs can vary depending on stress, their immune system, and whether or not they are getting good sleep. Sleeping is important for memory consolidation, healing after strenuous muscle activity, and maintaining a healthy circadian rhythm. There are some mysteries surrounding the human body's need for sleep, though!

2. How Can You Get Better Sleep? Sleep deprivation is a true problem that stems both from sleep disorders and various dysfunctions within a person's life. People that do not sleep enough or experience periods of wakefulness that disrupts their sleep throughout the night can have serious health problems. Fortunately, several methods exist that can help someone get better sleep. For example, taking part in a doctor's sleep study can provide you with specific information about your sleeping problems which can then be solved by specialists. Individuals that have trouble with getting into the sleep phase could also take melatonin supplements to help them fall asleep. Getting into a good, consistent sleep schedule is another way that individuals can naturally induce sleepiness in their lives to get better rest. Getting enough sleep can be difficult for some adults. However, it's necessary to try your utmost to get the non-rapid eye movement and REM stage sleep to maintain mental and physical health. While we still have a lot to learn about sleep as a whole, it's clear that it is worth learning how to get better sleep at every age!